An Interlude
by rhapsodybree
Summary: Set between “Page” and “Squire” where Keladry stumbles across Daine and Numair.


Disclaimer: I own nothing, and only borrowed these characters for a little while to play with.

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Keladry of Mindelan swore under her breath as the teenager realised she needed to relieve herself.

She'd long trained herself to sleep the whole night through without needing to unnecessarily leave her bed, and it had been well over five years since she'd last had to do so, but it would appear that tonight her body had a different plan for her.

Reaching for her glaive, she slipped from her bed. Walking the dark corridor, she kept one hand on the wall as she recalled the layout of the building that they had arrived at three days prior for their training camp.

Entering the courtyard dimly lit by moonlight, her eyes were immediately drawn to two lumps in the far corner of the square. Senses instantly on alert, she gripped her staff tighter and warily made her way over. Preparing to announce her presence, she startled when an animal reared up in her face.

It took her a moment to realise where she had seen this dragon before. Embarrassment flooded her features as she realised who must then be sleeping.

"Kitten!" came the firm gravely voice of a man that was now rising up from the shadows. "Daine?" he mumbled next, now turning his attention to her, a globe of light appearing in black and silver specks in his palm.

As the swarthy face of the tall man came into a shadowy profile, Keladry swallowed. This was the most powerful mage in all of Tortall.

She had had Numair Salmalin as a teacher on occasion, his scatter-brained teaching methods often deviating from the class curriculum, but nonetheless all students had been in awe of the powerful black mage. Whilst friends with the wildmage – his lover – she hadn't had much personal contact with Master Salmalin.

"Hi," she squeaked, hating that she honestly sounded like a girl.

"You're… you're…" fumbled the mage, trying to recall her name. Putting him out of his misery, she supplied him with the necessary information. "Ah yes," nodded the tall man, now towering over her. "Daine and Alanna have mentioned you."

Alanna – _Lady Knight! – _had mentioned her?

Keladry kept her face Yamani smooth, but inwardly she was doing a happy dance. "Why aren't you sleeping inside?" asked Kel. As the words left her mouth, she immediately slapped her hand over it. "I do apologise. I should not have asked!"

Numair Salmalin smirked. "No mind. Daine prefers the outdoors and will sleep outside any chance she gets. Lucky me," he added dryly.

Looking up at him, she was struck anew how tall he was. "If you don't mind me asking, where is Daine?" the girl ventured carefully.

"We arrived an hour ago and she went off to see her wolf friends. Apparently they're nearby," the mage explained as he stretched. "Me, I'd rather wait 'til day."

Wondering what to say now, Master Oakbridge having not taught the proper etiquette for midnight meetings with mages and the like, she ran her fingers along the smooth wood of her weapon.

"It's so blasted cold," complained the man, wrapping his arms around his chest as a squirrel suddenly appeared and ran up his lanky form, burying it's claws into the mage's loose shirt. Making a strange noise that was a cross between a chirrup and a bark, the small rodent was clearly not the usual type. "Thank you for your sympathy magelet," said Numair wryly.

_That was Daine? _Kel had seen her interact with animals before, but she'd never actually seen her as an actual, well, animal before.

If squirrels could laugh, she was sure that this one was doing just that now as it bobbed its head up and down awkwardly. The rodent scurried up Master Salmalin's shirt and butted the side of his cheek before disappearing over his shoulder and down his back.

She had to laugh at that.

The wildmage reappeared in human form behind the mage seconds later, tying the top of her loose shirt. She couldn't hear what Daine said to the tall mage, but she saw Numair's response when he leaned down and kissed her.

Flushing, and wondering why she was still there, Keladry resisted the urge to shuffle her feet. "Hullo Daine."

"Kel!" said the wildmage in surprise, turning. "I'd forgotten that you would be here."

It wasn't until she returned to her room once again shortly after that she realised that she still hadn't relieved herself. Not bothered to get up once again, and knowing that she didn't want to bump into Numair and Daine again, she rolled onto her side and closed her eyes with a determination she did not feel.

Now, if only her own love life wasn't so darn complicated.

* * *

_Finito. _


End file.
